A Song for You
by Apollo77
Summary: All his life, Mitsuhide has sought nothing more than to serve others, no matter what the cost to himself. Can Motochika convince him to give in to his own desires for a change? Yaoi, you have been warned.
1. 1: A Friend in Need

**Finally, my first Samurai Warriors fic! It also happens to be my first yaoi fic! Hope you enjoy reading it, and review to let me know what you think!**

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**Chapter 1- A Friend in Need...**

"Lord Mitsuhide, your presence is requested in Lord Nobunaga's tent."  
"Tell him that sleeping with him again can wait a few minutes," Mitsuhide Akechi replied groggily, still very much asleep.  
"This is for a meeting among the generals, my Lord," Nobunaga's messenger persisted. "Not...that..."  
Mitsuhide bolted upright. "Oh, damn it, I completely forgot about this meeting!"  
"I suggest you get ready and attend as soon as possible, my Lord."  
"Better late than never, I suppose. Thank you for reminding me of this."  
"You're very welcome, my Lord. I'll give you some privacy now, just get to Lord Nobunaga's tent as soon as you are ready."  
The messenger left Mitsuhide's tent, leaving Mitsuhide to get himself dressed. As he pulled on his casual robes, as this was not a formal occasion, he began to think about what Nobunaga would do to him for being late. "He'll probably be extra rough next time, just great," he thought aloud. Nobunaga greatly enjoyed having sex with all of his generals, but he seemed to prefer Mitsuhide more than everyone else, even his own wife, Nō. Mitsuhide found himself being privately summoned to his Lord's tent almost every other day. He usually didn't mind though, for he would do anything for his Lord. Only when Nobunaga was especially rough with him would Mitsuhide have any complaint. As Mitsuhide left his tent for his Lord's, he could only hope Nobunaga would not have this in mind. Mitsuhide soon reached his Lord's tent and quietly crept inside, hoping to not interrupt the meeting.  
"Well, it seems you've decided to attend after all!"  
Mission Failed.  
Nobunaga Oda rose from his chair and strode up to Mitsuhide, his dark eyes devouring him. Almost any other man would cower in fear of this, but Mitsuhide's complete trust in his Lord negated any fear he could've had.  
"May I ask why you were late, Mitsuhide?" Nobunaga whispered to him.  
"I'm terribly sorry my Lord," Mitsuhide apologized. "I had completely forgotten about this meeting. Please forgive me, my Lord."  
"You have my forgiveness. Now, to make up for the time lost, I'd like you to meet me in my bedroom after this meeting has ended." Nobunaga winked at him slyly.  
"Yes, my Lord."  
"Good. Now please, take your place, and we shall resume this meeting." Nobunaga turned and walked back to his chair, then sat and waited for Mitsuhide. Mitsuhide took his place at his Lord's right side and observed the room. At Nobunaga's left sat Nō, his wife. Though she loved her husband very much, she was a loyal retainer to him, not just some petty whore. Nobunaga actually had a good deal of respect for her and treated her with such. To the left of Nō was Katsuie Shibata, an old and reliable general who had served Nobunaga for many years. To Mitsuhide's right sat Ranmaru Mori, a young warrior who Mitsuhide mentored. Ranmaru was probably the only other general of Nobunaga who had as much blind faith in him as Mitsuhide did. Next to Ranmaru sat Hanbei Takenaka, an idealistic young strategist who proved to be very valuable to Nobunaga's army. Across from Hanbei, next to Katsuie, was Kanbei Kuroda, the other of Nobunaga's strategists. Hanbei and Kanbei were both best friends and polar opposites. Kanbei was always preparing for the worst and was deathly pale; Hanbei was optimistic and full of energy- when he wasn't taking a nap, that is. Mitsuhide smiled, for he was part of a powerful group of individuals. It gave him a certain sense of pride to know that everyone else in the room could probably kill him in some way.

"Ahem, now that everyone is here, let us discuss the most pressing matters at hand."  
Nobunaga broke the silence, and when he spoke, he commanded total attention. "Hanbei, Kanbei, would you like to explain our current situation?"  
"Of course, my Lord," Kanbei replied. He and Hanbei stood up and faced the rest of the generals. "It appears that Motonari Mōri, who we assumed was dead, is very much alive and out to deter us from gaining any more land in the west."  
"That really is a bummer, isn't it?" Hanbei joked. "I mean, he disappears to avoid fighting anymore, and then he reappears just for you, Lord Nobunaga. You must feel very honored, no?"  
"Certainly," Nobunaga grumbled, rolling his eyes.  
Kanbei rolled his eyes as well, then continued. "Contrary to Hanbei's belief, this is no laughing matter. While normally our massive army would be able to crush this nuisance with little effort, unfortunately we will have to fight him in a naval battle."  
"I'm really surprised," Hanbei cut in, "that we have such a huge army but barely any navy. Whose grand idea was that? Oh wait, ours..."  
"Mostly yours, actually," Kanbei said flatly. "It is also rumored that the Saika Rebels, led by Magoichi Saika, have joined forces with the Mōri."  
"So now we have that idiot of a gunslinger against us too," Nō quipped. "He's really more of an annoyance than a threat though, no? He'll probably just try to hit on me, being the damn womanizer that he is."  
"Magoichi himself? An annoyance," Kanbei agreed. "But a whole brigade of his rifle-wielding rebels? A threat."  
"So, what are our options?" Katsuie asked. "We can't just sit and watch a man who was supposed to be dead come and repel our advances."  
"Yeah yeah, we keep telling you about our problems and not the solutions," Hanbei chuckled. "Well, how about this? The Mōri got some help from the Saika to help take us down, right? So why don't we just get some help from someone who has a big navy?"  
"Do you have someone in mind, Hanbei?" Nobunaga asked, propping his elbow on his chair and resting his head on his fist.  
"Well, umm...no," Hanbei admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.  
"Of course..." Nobunaga shook his head. "Why did I even get my hopes up? Well, does anyone else have someone whom we could ally ourselves with? Mitsuhide, Ranmaru, you've both been rather quiet. Do either of you know a person?"  
"Are we not always silent and attentive in these meetings, my Lord?" Ranmaru reminded.  
"That you are. Mitsuhide, can you at least answer me?" Receiving no answer, Nobunaga glanced at Mitsuhide and saw him deep in thought, staring straight ahead. Ranmaru waved his hand in his mentor's face in a futile attempt to get his attention. Finally, Mitsuhide spoke.  
"I believe I have someone, my Lord."

On the island of Shikoku, a lonely tune of a shamisen rung in the still air. Motochika Chōsokabe sat cross-legged in his tent and strummed his shamisen lazily. With the war far away from his secluded island, he had a lot more free time to simply relax and play some music. While he enjoyed this break from conflict at first, he grew terribly bored of just doing nothing. Sighing, he continued to play, until a sour note made him stop.  
"Hmm? That's odd," he thought aloud. "I tuned this yesterday... Or was it the day before? Either way, it should be tuned properly." Motochika plucked at the strings of his instrument and listened closely after each one. He went through his routine rather quickly, having done it for years. After all, he used this very instrument as his weapon. It was simply more natural for him than a sword or a spear. Even though some questioned its ability, Motochika's shamisen had proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Finally he came to a string that sounded just a little bit off. "Ah, there you are, you little rebel." He adjusted the string until the note sounded perfectly pure, then retried the same tune as before. He played it through flawlessly and smiled in content. "Perfect." Motochika noticed his son, Morichika, standing in the entrance to his tent. It always seemed as if people waited for him to finish playing before they entered the tent. It wasn't as if Motochika would be angry with them, they just enjoyed listening to the soothing melodies that almost always could be heard from his tent. "Hello Morichika," he greeted.  
"That song was amazing, Father," Morichika admired.  
"You know, you don't always have to wait for me to finish before you enter."  
"And miss your performances? I could never."  
"So what is it you seek, my son?"  
"A daimyo by the name of Mitsuhide Akechi is here and has requested to speak with you."  
"Mitsuhide?" Motochika repeated, his interest spurred. "Why, I haven't seen him for quite a few years. I wonder what he's been up to, and why he's here, for that matter. Please allow him in."  
"Yes, Father." Morichika left the tent, and after a few seconds, a man with long black hair and sullen gray eyes entered the tent. He knelt on one knee and bowed, then, remaining kneeling, spoke.  
"Lord Motochika, thank you for seeing me on such short notice," Mitsuhide said with gratitude.  
"Not a problem, Lord Mitsuhide," Motochika replied. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Tell me, how have you been?"  
"I've been well, thank you for asking. And yourself?"  
Motochika smiled, this was just like Mitsuhide, always putting others before himself. "Just enjoying the peace, it's not often that one gets this kind of break, you know. Now, I believe I asked about you, didn't I?"  
"Yes, that you did... Well, I'm serving as a general under Nobunaga Oda, and of course, the war has been brutal. But I believe in Lord Nobunaga, I know he can bring peace to this land." Mitsuhide's face seemed to light up like a lantern as he spoke about Nobunaga.  
"Good, it's nice to have something to believe in." Motochika nodded. "Gives you that sense of security, doesn't it?"  
"That it does, although right now we're not feeling very secure at all..."  
"Hmm? Why is that, Mitsuhide?"  
"The Mōri, led by the presumed dead Motonari, are trying to halt our advances in the west," Mitsuhide explained. "We do not have a big enough navy to counter them. They are standing in the way of my Lord's dream."  
"And you feel sorrow because you have no power to help your Lord in this situation, I see," Motochika observed.  
"Precisely. Which is why I come to you for help. You have a large navy, correct? Please, I beg of your assistance."  
"It just so happens that I do have a big navy. But why should I leave the peaceful shelter of my island for the battlefield?"  
"To help my Lord unify the land for peace, so that you may never have to experience war again." Mitsuhide's eyes sparkled at the thought.  
"Hell, I'm bored here anyway," Motochika laughed. "I can help you out."  
"Thank you so much, Lord Motochika. I swear, you will not regret it."  
"No problem, just promise me one thing, will you?"  
"Sure, anything."  
"Loosen up a bit, will ya?" Motochika stood up, slapped Mitsuhide on the back, and helped him up. "Tell Lord Nobunaga that he can count on my aid."  
"I will. Again, thank you. I must get back to Lord Nobunaga, I will see you soon."  
"Sure you can't stay and catch up a bit?"  
"No, he will be waiting for me." Mitsuhide then realized something and shuddered. He muttered under his breath, "I can only imagine what he's doing to Ranmaru right now..."  
"What was that?"  
"Oh, nothing..." Mitsuhide turned and walked out of the tent. Once he was gone, Motochika sat down again and resumed playing his shamisen. One day, I'll get him to open up, he thought, although it was more of a hope than a promise.


	2. 2: Is a Friend Indeed

**Reviews:**

Spiral Breeze- Thanks so much Spiral! I'm glad I'm doing so well for my first yaoi.

LadyKatatonic- I hope to be able to write tons more SW stories, I actually just got a great idea for another one. Hope you really like this one!

CandleReaper- Thanks Lit! While Conquest is a great game, (Pokemon=Samurai Warriors=Two of my all-time favorite games) you should get an actual Samurai Warriors game to really understand the characters and their stories.

Zephyrsword- Yep, I'll keep posting as long as I keep writing! Though updates will proabbly come a bit slower once school starts again...

**Well, that's all the reviews, thanks for all the support! Now, back to the story!**

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**Chapter 2- ...Is a Friend Indeed**

"Hmmm... It's rather quiet..."  
Mitsuhide, having just arrived back at Nobunaga's camp near Kizugawa, was rather unsettled by the lack of activity around the camp. He saw platoons of soldiers practicing drills and formations, apprentice strategists discussing tactics, and even several officers gathered around a fire, enjoying a meal. It was not at all a camp lacking activity. What it lacked, however, was the presence of any generals. Usually Ranmaru would be eagerly awaiting his return, hoping Mitsuhide would tell him about his travels. At other times, a messenger would bring summons to Nobunaga's tent, for his Lord either needed to know his mission was a success, or needed Mitsuhide for...other reasons. Occasionally it would even be Hanbei or Kanbei who would inquire about an outing's results for strategic purposes. This time, though, no one approached Mitsuhide for any matter at all. After a few minutes of searching the camp for anyone, he found Katsuie sparring against three officers at once. The large, burly officer swung his twin axes in such a wild fashion it was hard to believe he had any control of what he was doing. Yet, as his axes slashed in a frantic flurry, the look on his face showed utmost concentration. After Katsuie successfully flung all three of his opponents away with one stroke, he turned to where they landed and saw Mitsuhide out of the corner of his eye.  
"Mitsuhide! You're back!" he shouted boisterously. Katsuie trudged over to him and slapped him on the back rather forcefully.  
"Yes, and I'm happy to say that we will have the naval support we need for our battle against the Mōri." Mitsuhide replied, rubbing his back, trying to ease the sting of pain. "The camp seems rather empty today, does it not? Where is everyone?"  
"Well, since you were gone, Lord Nobunaga has taken a bit more of an interest in Ranmaru," Katsuie explained with a slight grin. "Knowing our Lord, that boy's probably getting plowed as we speak. Glad that's not you this time, aren't you?"  
"Yes, I admit that a break from that was definitely enjoyable," Mitsuhide confessed.  
"I'm sure," Katsuie chuckled. "As for Hanbei and Kanbei, they've gone off somewhere discussing some strategy or something. Nothing the rest of us would understand, of course. I swear, it's as if those two have their own secret language sometimes..." Mitsuhide nodded in agreement. Hanbei often joked with the other generals, saying something like "In savage warrior terms," or "For the not so intelligent of us here," before explaining a tactic. Kanbei, on the other hand, made no concession when it came to word choice, which would of course in turn prompt Hanbei to "dumb it down" for them. "And as for Nō," Katsuie continued, "Well, I have no clue what that broad is up to. She could be anywhere right now. Say, Mitsuhide, are you up for a spar? I need an opponent who can really give me a challenge."  
"Well, since Lord Nobunaga won't be done with Ranmaru for a while, and since our two strategists can debate for hours, it looks like I have time to kill. I accept."  
"Alright boy, prepare to fall before the Devil Shibata! Grab yourself a practice sword, and let's get going!" Katsuie picked up his practice twin axes and stood in a battle stance, his knees bent and his axes held out in front of him. Mitsuhide swept the area for a proper sword, found one that caught his eye, and held it out, testing its weight. Deciding it would suffice, he swung it in a few quick, tight circles before putting it to his side, as if his sheath were there. He stood just a few yards away from Katsuie in his stiff fighting position.  
"Shall we begin?" Mitsuhide asked. Katsuie answered by letting loose a guttural roar and charging at him with surprising speed. Mitsuhide barely had enough time to raise his sword to deflect Katsuie's powerful preemptive strike. Katsuie swing his axes again, but this time Mitsuhide slashed with his sword to counter, leaving them in a deadlock. Mitsuhide was no match for Katsuie when it came to sheer power, so he found himself quickly losing ground. What he lacked in power, though, he made up for in finesse. Mitsuhide backed out of the deadlock, leaving Katsuie to lurch forward since there was no longer any resistance to hold him up. Mitsuhide pivoted on his back foot, sidestepped, and lunged at Katsuie, who managed to regain his balance in time to turn toward Mitsuhide. Instead of being hit directly in the back, Katsuie took the blow in his large upper arm, a much less devastating wound in a real battle. Nonetheless, Mitsuhide took advantage of Katsuie's position and attacked with rapid stabs and slashes. Katsuie was subdued for a while, but eventually broke through and pushed Mitsuhide back with just one swing of his axes. Their spar went back and forth like this, both warriors alternating between offensive and defensive standpoints. Soon both warriors were absolutely exhausted and started to make more mistakes. Simple missteps here and there led to careless lunges, which led to both warriors being at the point of the other's weapon far too often. After about the tenth occurrence of this, with Mitsuhide's sword at Katsuie's throat and one of Katsuie's axes at Mitsuhide's side, they looked into each others' eyes, and both samurai decided enough was enough.  
"I guess it's been...too long since I've last...had a real challenge," Katsuie panted.  
"Agreed," Mitsuhide said, gasping for breath as well.  
"So I guess it's a draw then?"  
"Draw." They dropped their weapons and bowed respectfully to each other, the usual etiquette after a spar. "Well, I think Lord Nobunaga and Ranmaru should be done by now, so I think I'll go report the results of my mission."  
"Alright lad, see you later then." Mitsuhide turned and walked away from the sparring area toward Nobunaga's tent. He smiled to himself, satisfied with his performance in the spar. At last he reached Nobunaga's tent, which was on the other side of the camp. Mitsuhide stepped inside, and his jaw dropped. Nobunaga and Ranmaru were lying next to each other on the bed, completely naked and not at all covered by the sheets. They were awake, but didn't notice Mitsuhide. That is, they didn't notice him until he gasped rather suddenly at the sight of his Lord's length halfway inside Ranmaru's ass. Nobunaga and Ranmaru sharply turned their heads to face Mitsuhide.  
"L-lord M-Mitsuhide!" Ranmaru stammered nervously. "Y-you've returned!"  
"Ah, Mitsuhide, while I'm glad to see you back, your timing is less than perfect," Nobunaga said, a bit unhappy he was interrupted. "Why don't you get something to eat and meet me back here in a few hours after you're done? You must be starving after your journey."  
"Will do, my Lord," Mitsuhide replied, mortified to have walked in on Nobunaga. He backed out of the tent slowly, and when he was out of sight, turned and ran, knowing how hard he tried, he wouldn't soon forget about what he just saw.

"I want that mental image gone forever."  
Mitsuhide tilted his head back and gulped down another glass of wine, marking his fourth that night. He couldn't stop thinking about what he saw, so as soon as he finished dinner he took the advice of Katsuie and tried to erase the memory the only way the old general knew how– drink. The two of them sat around a fire with Hanbei and Kanbei, who were also quite stressed from discussing strategy for the upcoming battle. "You sure you're alright there, boy?" Katsuie asked, concern somehow showing despite his inebriated state. "You're usually not one to drink this much."  
"Yeah, Mitsuhide, you're a total stiff sometimes," Hanbei slurred. "S-T-I-F, stiff!" He threw his head back and laughed uncontrollably, his mind completely riddled with alcohol.  
"Stiff has two f's, fool," Kanbei corrected, rolling his eyes. Even though he had as much to drink as the others did, Kanbei acted as if he were still perfectly sober. It always seemed as if drinking could never affect his thoughts at all.  
"Well, you know what, Kanbei?" Hanbei said rather loudly as he stood up. "I don't give two f's!" Mitsuhide and Katsuie couldn't help but to burst out laughing, while Hanbei himself fell back down and continued to giggle like an idiot. "Hell, I don't even give one f! So I guess that makes you a sti, Mitsuhide! Get it, cause it's stiff with no f's?"  
"You're a riot," Kanbei muttered sarcastically.  
"I swear, I'm perfectly fine," Mitsuhide assured. "A little wine never hurt anyone."  
"It's certainly hurting this one's brains," Kanbei noted, gesturing to Hanbei, who was pretending to shoot Katsuie with his finger. Katsuie, pretending as if he were actually hit by a projectile from the gun, fell backwards and convulsed on the ground for a few seconds.  
"Quit being such a bore, will you?" Hanbei whined, redirecting his finger gun at Kanbei. "Pew pew pew! You're dead!"  
"You're such a child." Kanbei shook his head, not at all amused.  
"You can't say anything, you're dead!" Hanbei taunted.  
"Katsuie, say something and prove him wrong," Kanbei urged.  
"I can't, I'm dead," Katsuie said with a straight face, not knowing any better.  
"See? I told you!" Hanbei began to laugh uncontrollably again, until he fell back on his head with a thud.  
"Ha! Got you!" Katsuie cheered, his finger gun pointed at Hanbei.  
"Is he okay?" Mitsuhide asked, noticing Hanbei wasn't moving.  
"He'll be fine," Kanbei dismissed. "He'll wake up really hung over, but after a few hours he'll get over it. I might as well go put him off to bed." Kanbei rose, picked up his unconscious friend in his arms, and carried him off to his tent. He came back after a few minutes, a perplexed look on his face. "I just ran into Ranmaru. He was coming out of Nobunaga's tent and told me to tell you that our Lord wishes to see you. Any reason Ranmaru would still be there, or why he wouldn't tell you himself?"  
"No reason, no reason at all," Mitsuhide said quickly, trying to avoid the subject. "I better get going then!" He got up shakily and headed toward Nobunaga's tent before anyone else could protest. All cautiousness ebbed away by his drinking, he stumbled inside and half-knelt, half-fell before his Lord. "You called, my Lord?"  
"Yes," Nobunaga replied, "thank you for actually coming after what happened-"  
"Please, let's not bring that up, okay?" Mitsuhide blurted out. "I want to forget it ever happened."  
"I see... I take it that's why you're drunk then," Nobunaga observed.  
"A little..."  
"Alright then, let's discuss your travels. Do we have an ally?"  
"Damn right we do!"  
"And just who is he?" Nobunaga noted that Mitsuhide was definitely more than just a little drunk.  
"His name is Motochika Chōsokabe. He leads the Chōsokabe Clan on the island of Shikoku, and he's willing to lend us his big-ass navy for the upcoming battle."  
"Is that so? Well, this is good news. I'd call for a celebration, but it appears you've already had quite enough to drink, so we'll have to hold off on that for now."  
"Have not!" Mitsuhide argued.  
"That's an order."  
"Oh, fine..."  
"Good. Any more questions?"  
"Just one. You want a drink?"  
"Umm, no, I think I'll pass. You are dismissed, Mitsuhide."  
"Thank you, my Lord. And seriously, consider having a drink." Mitsuhide got up a bit unsteadily and left Nobunaga's tent, returning to the fire, where he, Katsuie, and Kanbei shared another few glasses of wine. Meanwhile, in his tent, Nobunaga poured himself a glass of wine from his own personal bottle.  
"Hell, why not?" he thought.

Up until the arrival day of Motochika and his navy, nothing else interesting had happened around the Oda camp. At last the day came where Motochika was scheduled to arrive. Nobunaga and his generals waited anxiously by the shores for the boats of the Chōsokabe navy to appear in the distance. It was Ranmaru who first noticed them when they came.  
"My Lord, I think they're here!" He announced. Sure enough, the ships gradually came into view, sailing closer and closer until they were only a few feet from the shore. Standing at the helm of the lead ship was none other than the shamisen-wielding samurai himself. The wind tossed Motochika's shaggy cyan hair as he stood, tall and proudly, and everyone couldn't help but stare at him.  
"Your knight in shining armor has arrived!" Motochika called out to Nobunaga's army. He dove off the side of his ship gracefully, his head surfacing above water a few seconds later. He shook the water out of his hair, then swam to the shore, walking up to where the water lapped at his waist. "I am Motochika Chōsokabe, and I am here to assist you in your upcoming battle. These fleets are yours to use."  
"Excellent," Nobunaga mused. "We shall have no trouble against the Mōri, thanks to your aid."  
"Glad I can be of assistance," Motochika said. He turned to Mitsuhide and noticed he was staring at the water as it washed against the sand. "Hey, Mitsuhide! No greeting for your old pal?" Mitsuhide looked up at him and took a step forward, but still did not set foot in the water. Motochika couldn't help but wonder if he were afraid of the water.  
"I am sorry for being rude, Motochika," Mitsuhide apologized. "Welcome to the Oda army. It is an honor to have you here." Once again, his eyes shifted nervously toward the water. Motochika now knew for sure that his friend was afraid, for the rest of the army seemed to notice his discomfort as well. Nobunaga and Kanbei wore patronizing smirks, while Ranmaru and Katsuie seemed more concerned. Hanbei, yawning like he often was, simply seemed elsewhere. Motochika decided he had to spare his friend from otherwise inevitable embarrassment.  
"Come into the water, Mitsuhide," he beckoned. "I promise, it won't hurt you."  
"Are you sure?" Mitsuhide asked warily.  
"Trust me, I wouldn't lie to you." Motochika assured. He watched as Mitsuhide slowly lifted his foot and placed it into the warm ocean water. He took another step with his other foot, then another, and another, until he was up to his knees in the calm sea, and a few feet away from Motochika. "It feels good, does it not?"  
"It does," Mitsuhide admitted. "I apologize for doubting you."  
"No need to apologize," Motochika said. "But remember, I'm here for you." The two warriors stood there, letting the water caress them as it swayed gently, ignoring the others who had gone to splash around in the water, and just delighting in each other's company.


	3. 3: Failure to Prepare

**Reviews:**

nikkychin7- Thank you! Don't worry, there'll be lots more of this to come, I'm sorry for such a long wait though!

MissSexyRain- Well, I kinda stole that from a cutscene from SW3, Mitsuhide was wary of the ocean or something, and Motochika called him in. And oh yes, Mitsuhide will never be the same after seeing that!

**Well, it's really been a while, hasn't it? But even though I've been slow to update, I've finally taken the time to plot out all my story points and organize some things, which should not only reduce time needed to write each chapter, but overall make the story a lot smoother and more well-written. So now, on with the story!**

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**Chapter 3- Failure to Prepare...**

Motochika stretched out in the hammock in his tent. Though it was customary for each tent to simply have a bed for its resident to sleep in, Motochika insisted that he needed a hammock in his. So he was allowed to have both a bed and a hammock, in which he alternated sleeping.

"Ahh, the little things," Motochika mused as he slowly swung on his hammock. "One needs to relax before exerting himself, so that he may focus on the daunting task ahead when he comes to it. I suppose that's why strategists never make skilled fighters, they spend too much time worrying about their battle plans." He paused, frowning. "Something just doesn't seem right." He stopped and listened to the ambience of the camp around him. It was...too ordinary for his liking. The simple sounds of soldiers' small conversations and the ringing of metal against metal were not appealing to Motochika. He hopped off his hammock, yawned, and walked over to his belongings on the other side of the tent. He picked up his shamisen and exhaled slowly; the mere familiar feel of the instrument in his hands gave him a sense of comfort. His hand slid across the neck of the shamisen, the strings rough on his somewhat calloused fingers. He held the pick in his other hand, which tested out each string, making sure each was tuned to perfection. Seeing that everything was, he put his hands in position and began to play.

Mitsuhide was on a leisurely stroll around the camp when he noticed a large throng of soldiers gathered around a tent nearby.

"_Hm, I wonder what all this could be about,_" he thought. He debated whether to investigate or not, but his curiosity got the better of him, so he headed toward it. As he got closer to the crowd of soldiers, he realized that he was nearing Motochika's tent. "_Oh God, I hope he hasn't upset anyone already..._" Mitsuhide cursed himself for not having checked up on his friend earlier and making sure he had adjusted to the camp okay. He had intended to, but Nobunaga...had other plans. He quickened his pace as his worry grew. As he reached the crowd of soldiers, he found that they indeed were clustered around Motochika's tent, but he was perplexed to find them not hostile, but quietly listening and whispering to each other. Mitsuhide listened more closely and could hear the melody of a shamisen hanging in the still air. He smiled and shook his head; leave it to Motochika to put on a concert. Any worry that Mitsuhide had now dissipated, for he was sure his friend was just fine.

His fingers deftly spidering up and down the neck of the shamisen, Motochika continued to play to his heart's content, seemingly oblivious to the audience his music had attracted. He went through a setlist that lasted about an hour, then looked up from his instrument. He opened his eyes and was greeted by a myriad of eager eyes staring at him from outside his tent.

"Huh. When did you all get here?" Motochika mumbled, dumbfounded. He caught sight of someone pushing their way through the crowd, though not aggressively. He stood up and moved toward the entrance of the tent to get a closer look. "Oh, Mitsuhide!" He greeted, identifying who it was. "Tell me, why are there so many people here? It's slightly unnerving, isn't it?" Mitsuhide stared at Motochika, searching his face for some sign of levity, but seeing only a deadpan expression.

"You...seriously don't know?" Mitsuhide asked, baffled.

"No. Should I?" Motochika replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah," Mitsuhide said, exasperated. "It was your music that drew them all here!"

"My music?" Motochika repeated, tilting his head to the side. "I was unaware that it could have such an effect."

"You've never drawn a crowd before?" Mitsuhide asked incredulously. "How could you...Oh right, you live on your own freaking island... Anyway, this is what your music is capable of in a crowded place like this."

"Amazing... I shall keep this in mind."

"Well, I guess you've settled in then. I'd been meaning to check up on you earlier, but...well, let's just say something got in the way."

"I see... I can assure you I'm as comfortable as can be here. Take a look around, if you care to." Motochika gestured for Mitsuhide to come inside the tent, so Mitsuhide slowly ventured inside the narrow opening.

"...A hammock?! Really?" Mitsuhide chuckled, shaking his head.

"I said I was comfortable, did I not?" Motochika said, maintaining his seriousness.

"That you did..." Mitsuhide sighed. "You've really outdone yourself. Anyway, I also came to inform you that there's a strategy meeting concerning the upcoming battle in an hour. Nobunaga insists that you attend as well, since your navy plays a vital role in our army's success."

"Alright, good to know. I'll be there," Motochika assured. Mitsuhide bowed and left the tent, leaving Motochika to finally rid his face of the blank expression he had been trying so hard to conceal his true emotions with. He burst out laughing, growing more and more hysterical as he recalled what had just transpired. "Hehe... He really... He really thought I was that oblivious! Oh yes, because I'm the naïve one, all right! Hahaha...hehe...heheh...heh... Ah, that's good..."

Motochika, wanting to leave a good impression, made sure to arrive at the strategy meeting a good ten minutes before it began. When he entered Nobunaga's tent, however, much to his surprise he found that only Kanbei was already there, and he was sleeping in his chair.

"Um, hello?" Motochika ventured. Kanbei's eyes shot wide open, but upon seeing Motochika standing there, relaxed quite a bit.

"Oh, hey," Kanbei greeted curtly.

"_Figures this guy doesn't care for conversation too much,_" Motochika thought. "So where is everyone?"

"It would appear you are not familiar with how strategy works around here," Kanbei pointed out. "Let me explain. No one ever shows up on time. Ever. You'll usually get people coming in anywhere from five minutes to a half hour late. And as for the meetings themselves, all that really happens is this: Hanbei and I give suggestions, Hanbei makes a comedy hour out of it, and no one else really gives a damn."

"Huh. You would think, since this is a strategy meeting, that people would put some importance on it."

"Yeah, that's what I thought when I signed on here. But when you have officers like Katsuie and Nö who simply enjoy ravaging the battlefield, Nobunaga usually just lets them do whatever they want."

"I see... So why does one with a mind like yours subject yourself to this?"

"Because I know that Nobunaga will be the one to unite this land. That's why we're all here. We have faith in him."

"Interesting..."

"And I thought I was early!" Motochika turned to see Mitsuhide walking in, still a few minutes before the scheduled start time of the meeting. "I'm glad you're here, Motochika. Hopefully you can add to Hanbei and Kanbei's knowledge of strategy...just don't let Hanbei make you look foolish."

"That idiot," Kanbei snorted. "He always acts like everyone else knows absolutely nothing..."

"Well, I may not be an expert, but I know far more than nothing," Motochika said. "After all, being alone means I've had to be my own strategist for a while now."

Kanbei's eyebrows rose at this. "Oh, really? Then maybe you could make this interesting then..." For the first time in a long time, a devilish grin spread across Kanbei's face.

The rest of the officers sporadically arrived at the meeting, including Hideyoshi Hashiba, a man Motochika had not yet met. He was a trusted general of Nobunaga's and had come to aid him after conquests in the west. Underneath his extravagant golden headpiece lay a serious expression, but Motochika did not yet know how easily that could change.

"Alright then," Nobunaga announced after everyone had arrived. "Kanbei, Hanbei, if you will."

"Thank you, my, Lord," Kanbei began, speaking first. "As we all know, this battle will be fought on ships, not land. Therefore, we will have to plan accordingly. The Mōri have a very large navy, so they have a great deal of territory to start with. But thanks to Motochika here, we'll at least have some ground to start with without getting surrounded. So once again Motochika, we thank you."

Motochika nodded his acknowledgement. "I'm glad to be of assistance."

"So then, let's take a look at what we're up against," Kanbei continued. He pulled a large rolled up piece of paper from within his robes, unrolled it, and held it up. It was a predicted map of the battlefield, with hastily scrawled markings all over it. "Up here, in the upper-right hand corner, is us, marked in blue. And all the other boats, marked in red, are the enemy."

"So as you can see, we've really outdone ourselves this time," Hanbei chimed in.

"...anyway, as I was saying..." Kanbei started, annoyed.

"Ooh, I've got an idea!" Hanbei interrupted again. "Who wants to play 'Are You Smarter than an Amateur Strategist'?" Everyone except for Motochika, who did not yet know what this entailed, groaned in response. Hanbei simply ignored this, like always. "Alright, question number one!" He pointed to a group of enemy officers on the red boat closest to the blue boats. "Who knows what this is called?" Motochika opened his mouth to answer, but someone beat him to it.

"A poorly drawn map?" Nö quipped.

"Hey, I spent lots of time on this!" Hanbei scowled. "Anyone else, you ungrateful bastards?" Motochika tried again, but was once again beat to the punch.

"A _really_ poorly drawn map?" Hideyoshi chuckled. "I mean look at it, those boats are just rectangles... And 'Hanbei is the best strategist ever' is written in the corner over there..."

"And you better believe it..." Hanbei grumbled. "Any of you Neanderthals actually have an ANSWER?!"

"It's a vanguard," Motochika said quietly. All eyes were on him, including Hanbei's, wide with shock.

"Huh..." he mumbled. He shook off his initial shock quickly though, and returned to being haughty. "What do you know, someone actually knows something! Let's see how far he can go." Hanbei pointed to the map again. "Now, what would you do to dispatch that unit?"

"Well," Motochika pondered, "because the boats make for narrow angles of attack, I'd say just send a sizable force straight at it to overwhelm it, then, split the force in two to double back for each boat on the side."

"Hmm..." Hanbei thought about this for a second, then realized that it would indeed work. "Well, umm... That would...actually be a good plan..." He scratched the back of his head, feeling very much defeated.

"Well, Hanbei, I suppose you've made a fool out of yourself this time, haven't you?" Kanbei pointed out, relishing the moment.

"Hey, I'm not finished yet!" Hanbei snapped. "Okay, Motochika, here's your final question. Assuming you just did this, split your forces to double back, what would you do if the enemy was to bring reinforcements in the form of another fleet to the east?"

"Hmm," Motochika ruminated. He was pretty sure he knew what the proper course of action would be, but decided, for the sake of Hanbei reaching some sort of limit, to withhold his opinion. "I...I don't know."

"Ha-HA!" Hanbei cheered, but after receiving a glare from Nobunaga, he shrunk down again. "I mean, so sorry. Now, what I would do is..." Hanbei turned toward his map and explained to everyone an overly elaborate strategy that would handle the situation with tact. It was similar to what Motochika had had in mind, but was a lot more thought out and prepared for any turn of events. "Okay, so, any questions?" The silence that followed his question was, rather than filled by an answer, was filled by loud snoring. Everyone on the room turned to see Katsuie sound asleep in his seat. They all roared with laughter, which prodded the burly soldier awake.

"Huh... What'd I miss?" He slurred. This caused everyone to laugh harder, completely undermining the seriousness of the meeting, so Nobunaga decided enough was enough.

"Alright, alright, I think we're done here," he dismissed. "This meeting is adjourned, we shall board our fleet in the morning." The generals dispersed from Nobunaga's tent, and Motochika found himself exiting with Kanbei. The sullen strategist was muttering something to himself, seemingly stressed. Curious, Motochika asked him to explain what had him so uncharacteristically bothered.

"I think we've missed something extremely important," Kanbei explained. "Hanbei brought up a fleet coming from the east to try to stump you, since that would be extremely illogical. But what we avoided touching upon was the possibility of reinforcements from the west, a lot more likely since that's where they're coming from."

"Why didn't you bring it up?" Motochika asked.

"Because, while I don't like seeing Hanbei's overinflated ego, I also don't like seeing him made to look incompetent. Nobunaga is ruthless, and if either of us were to fail, he would have no qualms about releasing us, or even executing us. I couldn't bear for that to happen to Hanbei. He's a bright kid, but young and immature. If anything goes wrong, I'd rather take the blame than see him suffer."

"I see... You really care about him, don't you?"

"...I guess you could say that. Well, I suppose it's time we get some rest no?" They were approaching Kanbei's tent, so Kanbei broke off the conversation and went to get some sleep, but not before leaving Motochika with some parting words. "Just...be careful tomorrow, okay? In case the unexpected happens... I'll have a plan. Watch over Mitsuhide, too. He could really use you around right now."

Motochika wasn't sure what Kanbei meant by that last part, but he shrugged it off and continued toward his tent. He arrived, decided to sleep in his bed for tonight, undressed, and flopped down on the bed dramatically. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the battle to come until he dozed off into a restful sleep.

Mitsuhide sat on his bed after waking up from a good night's sleep. He held his sword in his hands, admiring the cold steel of the blade. His blade, which had taken the lives of so many, was going to yet again take to the battlefield to cut down countless more lives. Sometimes he had qualms about all of the soldiers he had killed in his lifetime, but Mitsuhide felt that it since it was for his lord, it was justified. He got up from his bed and sheathed his sword, then put on his armor and left his tent for the ship that would soon leave for Kizugawa. He met Katsuie on the way, and they proceeded to walk together.

"You ready for this, boy?" Katsuie grunted as he swung one of his axes over his shoulder.

"Ready," Mitsuhide nodded.

"Let's make this quick, I don't very much care for battling on a boat. The damned thing rocking and swaying underneath you when you're trying to kill something..."

"Don't tell me you get seasick," Mitsuhide snickered. The thought of a fearsome man like Katsuie getting seasick was absolutely hilarious for him.

"What? Seasick?!" Katsuie growled, feigning anger in response to the comment. "That's not it, asshole! How would you like it if you felt this while you were fighting?" He playfully shoved Mitsuhide, but for Katsuie even a playful shove packed a heavy punch. Mitsuhide was knocked off his feet and sent flying a few feet to the side from the force. He got to his feet and glared at Katsuie for a second, then both men burst out laughing.

"C'mon, big guy, we should get to the ship."

"Agreed." They continued on their way, and Mitsuhide felt at ease. Yes, there was absolutely nothing that could bother him now...


End file.
